Chapter 1
I still remember everything that day.
that bloody night...
my hands were still shaking as I threw the pocket knife, I saw Violet, the girl lying helplessly. her blood spread slowly, warm in the cold air. her eyes were still open, staring blankly, as if she wanted to ask why. but I chose to remain silent.
no, I just can't speak. because I'm sure, he must know the reason. the reason I'm just an ordinary and innocent girl to make this big decision. a decision that has never appeared in my head before but I did it tonight.
I never intended to kill anyone. never even thought about it. but that night, everything was too fast. even I'm still digesting "what am I doing?"
I didn't cry.
I was just...empty.
and for the first time in my life, the world was completely still.
then I heard it.
Footsteps-calm, slow, like he knew I wouldn't run.
the man emerged from the shadows.
He towered over me, his face obscured by a black hoodie. His voice was deep, soft... but not friendly.
"you're a mess."
"w-who are you?"
"the one who can make this... disappear."
"why?"
"no reason, I can make all of this disappear and you'll be safe. But, something has to be paid for with something, right?"
"how much do you want?"
"yourself."
"what?"
"I don't need money. You just nod and we're in agreement."
and I, an ordinary girl who had just killed a human, nodded.
I chose the demon. Because he was the only one who offered a way out.
----
That morning, a beautiful girl with long, wavy hair woke up the same way she always did — the 4:30 AM alarm and sunlight streaming in too brightly through the curtains she had forgotten to close the night before.
Her name was Claire Blacwood, a girl known for her beauty and grace. Almost everyone at school knew who she was. With her sweet smile and calm eyes, she could leave anyone mesmerized.
At school, Claire didn’t hold any official title, but her presence was undeniable. She was part of that circle — the ones who sat at the center table in the cafeteria, who were always tagged in popular kids’ stories, where the boys looked like models and the girls like they’d walked out of a Netflix movie.
That’s all people knew — and Claire intended to keep it that way. She didn’t want anyone to know more than what she allowed.
Though she was friendly, she always kept clear boundaries. She never shared personal things, never let anyone get too close.
She sat on the edge of her bed, hair messy, eyes blank. Then, as usual, she put on her face — a half-hearted smile with that "I’m fine" expression she had perfected over the years.
She let out a quiet sigh, stretched her muscles, then began tidying up her bed. She enjoyed her morning routine: soaking in warm water, doing her skincare, and putting on her favorite light makeup.
At 6:30, she went downstairs to join breakfast, where a man and woman — her stepfather and mother — sat across from each other, eating the meal prepared by their housekeeper.
“Morning,”
Claire said, though no one replied — not that she expected them to. She was used to it. She didn’t care anymore. She finished her breakfast as quickly as possible, uncomfortable in that room for too long.
After breakfast, she was picked up by Leon — her classmate and the guy who had been crushing on her for the past few months.
Leon was reliable in every way, but that didn’t make Claire like him. She only saw him as a friend, nothing more.
Still, she never refused his offers or gifts. Call her a little cruel for taking advantage of him, but that’s just who she was. And she wasn’t nearly as kind as people thought.
All the things those foolish people said to praise her only made her laugh inside.
How could people be so easily fooled just by appearances?
Were they just stupid... or was Claire just too good at hiding?
She walked calmly toward her classroom — tall, graceful, with long, wavy hair. Her appearance, as always, was striking, causing several eyes to follow her as she passed.
That day went smoothly — just like any other.
Until, during math class, someone introduced himself as the new student.
Julian Vale.
That was his name — a tall guy with pale skin, jet-black hair, and piercing sea-blue eyes.
Intriguing. That was the word that fit him best. A few girls were already interested, bombarding him with questions like, “Do you have a girlfriend?” and more.
He didn’t smile. His gaze was flat, indifferent. His body language clearly showed he didn’t enjoy the attention.
Silently, he scanned the classroom, looking for someone he hadn’t seen that morning.
And then...
He found her. The girl was sitting at the very back. She looked sleepy, completely unfazed, even while every other girl was eyeing him.
But her — she only glanced at him for a moment, then casually opened her books.
“Finally, I found you,”
he thought to himself, lifting the corner of his mouth into the faintest smirk — barely noticeable.
